Kid Has Stuff

Another tough game and the Jays drop to 1-6 in games decided by two runs or less. Well, that was their first two run game, but you get the idea. Won’t last because it has never lasted for any team ever (not to mention there’s no reason for it).

Anyway, The high point of the game (other than Texas trying their hardest to help out the Jays offense with three walks and a brutal error to give up the lead in the 8th) was Jesse Carlson, who entered the game with the bases loaded in the 11th and stuck out the side.

He went on to pitch three innings, including working out of another jam in the 13th when Michael Young lead off with a double. So what was he throwing? In 43 pitches, he threw 8 fastballs and the rest were sliders. And a pretty good one, too, which explains his good K numbers over his minor league career:

But where he really nailed it was with his location. Tons of strikes, and he was keeping his slider low, slicing across the knees again and again- as well as a handful of perfect pitches on the outside corner.

I’m not sure if there’s too many pitchers who have a breaking pitch as their primary pitch (Matt Herges?), but kind of like Jesse LItsch’s first appearance in the majors, good call to just keep throwing it if the rookie on the mound has something working and the other team can’t figure it out.

Speaking of sliders, this page has some very cool pictures and a video simulating what a slider looks like on its way in (both 2 and 4-seam varieties). See, it’s easy! Just spot this little red dot as it flashes towards you faster than a car on the highway, and you won’t have to listen to endure the wrath of armchair sluggers moaning about how you could possibly swing at that pitch that bounced a foot off the plate…

Yeah, Wolfe has been pretty sketchy. Not nearly as many GB this year, lots left up. Though realistically this is what we should expect from a fringy one-trick pony reliever, and where Carlson will probably end up eventually.